One Chance
by GoneFishing-Cullenistic357
Summary: Spring Break has come and two best friends, Emmett and Alice, are off to Myrtle Beach, SC. But upon discovering Emmett's mistake, ALice's bond grows stronger. With all the drama, how will their relationship hold up? All human. Alice POV.
1. Spring Break

"Spring Break!" we all yelled, throwing our papers in the air. I raced out the hall and down the wings to the parking lot. There, Emmett was waiting for me.

"Happy Spring Break, Alice," He said, sprinkling some confetti over my long hair.

"Confetti, Emmett? Really? You certainly know how to play up the situation. Happy Spring Break to you, too." I laughed, throwing my head back. I grabbed handfuls out confetti out of his bag and threw it in the air, and Emmett and I jumped and laughed and do-si-doed as the brightly colored, shiny pieces rained down on us, getting caught in our hair and on our clothes. So what if people stared? We didn't care.

"How did we come to be best friends? I used to be level-headed and sensible. You turned me into a 5-year-old, you goofball!" I squealed.

"You couldn't help yourself. I'm irresistible. I just have that kind of power." He grinned.

"If you say so. So when are you picking me up tomorrow?" I asked.

"You need to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed by 6A.M. so we can get an early start on the road. Are you sure your mom's are okay with this?" He asked.

"Oh, well…she will be. When I tell her." I mumbled.

"Alice…I hope you are right. Your mother would be worried. You need to do the right thing," he mused. In a way, Emmett kind of took on the role of my father once my father left. He looked out for me in a protective way, and even though he was so super silly at times, he was full of wisdom when it came to right from wrong. Especially since he'd done things that he wasn't proud of, and I'd been the one he came to. I'd been the one that kept all his secrets. I trust him with my decisions, and possibly my life.

"Ok, Emmett. Promise." I said.

"Good. I'll see you later, Alice, okay?" He said, and bent down to kiss the top of my head. I closed my eyes, and sighed.

"Okay." I said. I sniffled. I wasn't ready to face my mother. Emmett and I have known each other since 3rd grade, and my mother loved him like he was part of the family. But she would have a heart attack if she knew I was traveling alone with a guy. This is why I didn't tell her. But I must.

"I have to run. Here comes Jamie." He said. He jogged over to his ex-girlfriend, Jamie, and she put her hands on her hips. He had his hands up in the air, signaling innocence. She lifted her manicured hand and slapped it across his face. I could hear her heels _click-clack _away down the pavement. He looked down at his hands, sighed, and got in his 2010 Buick Lacrosse and drove off sadly. I didn't know why. I felt bad for him, as I stepped in my Sebring. I knew what I needed to do, and with my mind made up, I drove off.

I walked in the door, and put my keys in the key bowl. There was miniature, high-pitched barking that I had gotten to know very well in the last eight days. It was my new puppy. Boo, I decided, should be his name. Yeah, I know it is a weird name. But…I don't know. It just fit. I opened the sliding glass door, and walked out to the back yard. My little sand-colored puppy cocked his head, noticing my appearance. He smiled, letting his tongue flap in and out as he panted. His little legs pushed him forward to me and he slid into my arms. I lifted him from the grass and cuddled him against my chest.

"Hi, Boo-bear! Oh, I missed you, baby! I hope you had a good day. C'mon, let's get you inside." I cooed, taking Boo upstairs. My suitcases were packed and under my bed.

"Well, Boo, I'm going to be off for a week and Hunter and mommy are going to take care of you. I'll be back as soon as I can. But I'm going to spend a much needed week off with Emmett. So you be good for them, okay?" I whispered. Boo understood. I kissed his nose and he barked. My mother knocked on the open door.

"Hi, Alice." She smiled.

"Mom? You're home early." I said, confused.

"Well, yeah. Your spring break, my spring break." She said, as she pulled her hair out of her neat little bun and her wavy hair cascaded over her shoulders. She took off her heels. She's a piano teacher, and she taught me. I think she was glad to be having a break, as well as me. She moved towards my bed, and stroked Boo's head and he panted in content.

"Hey, Boo." Was all she said, and she stood and walked out.

I let out a breath I'd been holding since she walked in. When would I tell her? I'd figured I would tell her at dinner. I invited Emmett to dinner, which was okay with my mom but I was a little nervous. He appeared at the door some time before 7P.M. He picked me up and spun me around. My mom was in the kitchen making fried chicken. Emmett sniffed overdramatically.

"Mmm! It smells really good in here Ms. T! You sure know how to feed your family." He enthused.

"Thank you, Emmett. I'm glad you appreciate my food." She smiled.

Emmett and I waited for dinner to be ready in the living room. I sat on the couch cross-legged and Emmett stretched over the rest of the couch, his feet hanging off the edge. His head rested in my lap, and he laughed as I played with his ears. I turned on the television and "16 and Pregnant" was on MTV. Emmett's lips pressed in a tight line. His expression was cold.

"Could you please turn the channel?" he said.

"Why?" I asked.

"It's just really sappy and dramatic. Not my style." His eyes were glowering at the screen as the young girl conceived a baby girl. But I changed the channel anyway. And that was that.

"Thank you. So did you tell your mother?" He whispered.

"Uh…yes." I lied. He was oblivious.

"Good. So I'll be in your driveway by 5:55A.M. I want your little butt down there with your stuff and in my car by 6A.M. Are we clear?" He said in mock sternness.

"Yes, sir!" I said.

After dinner, when Emmett left, my mother blew my brother and I a kiss goodnight and trudged upstairs, flopping on the bed, fast asleep in a matter of seconds. I dressed in a pink tank top and pink pajama pants with hearts all over them. I passed by Hunter's room.

"Is it Valentine's Day already?" He said, pausing his video game.

"I believe every day is a holiday." I replied simply.

"Okay, Butterbean. If you say so." He said.

"Of course I say so, Cuddle-bug." I smirked. The embarrassing nicknames were our inside joke from when Mom, Hunter, and I were watching television in the family room and the commercial came on with all the teens looking like kids in floaties and saying how they are all those embarrassing nicknames and urging parents to talk to their kids about sex. We turned to mom, whose cheeks were burning bright red. Hunter turned back to me and we joked:

"Well, Butterbean, are you having sex, yet?" He said, smiling.

"Of course not. Are you having sex, Cuddle-bug?" I said in response, eyeing mom who seemed shaken and amused all at the same time.

"No, ma'am." He guffawed and we turned to mom.

"Lighten up." We said in unison.

I looked at the game he was playing.

"Modern Warfare?" I asked.

"I like it." He said.

"Oh."

"I know where you're going this week."

"Oh." I said again.

"So are you going to tell her or do I have to?" He said, not looking up from his game.

"I'll tell her." I said in a small voice.

"Well that's a change." He said.

"I know." I said shrinking against his wall. I sat down beside

"Look," he said, patting my knee, "you're growing and neither mom nor I can stop you. I'm just glad you're doing this for yourself. But if Emmett lays a finger on you, I'll have to rip him to shreds and use his insides as a jump rope." He said.

"Nice, Hunter. Real nice." I laughed.

"I know. Now get outta here, and go get some sleep. You've got a long drive ahead of you tomorrow." He mussed up my hair and went back to his game. I walked down the hall to my fluffy, pink, sparkly cushion of a bedroom, immediately dreaming perfect dreams of all the happiness spring break would bring me. No worries…right?

I woke up at 5A.M., which was earlier than I'd wanted, but that's okay. I took a long shower, and dressed in jean shorts, an orange tank top, and rainbows. I brushed out my long, wavy black hair. I should blow-dry and straighten it but I don't have the time and I still need to inform mom about the trip. I tiptoed to my mother's room. The door was open, and the early morning's blue light spilled through her window. She still slept peacefully, one arm hanging off the side of the bed, face turned away from me. I couldn't wake her now. So I tiptoed back to my room and scribbled down a note on a tiny pink piece of paper.

_Dear Mom,_

_I'm going to be leaving for spring break with Emmett to Myrtle Beach. Don't follow me. Don't worry, I'll be safe. I mean, c'mon. It's Emmett. I have money and I promise I will call you once I arrive. It'll be sometime around noon. You and Hunter will have to care for Boo. Thank you for understanding. I love you, mom._

_-Alice _

I slipped the note under her hand and she sighed. Her mouth opened a little and then closed. She was still sleeping. I stopped by Hunter's room. His door was cracked. I peeked in and he was awake, laying in bed, arms folded across his chest, staring at the ceiling. At my approach, he sat up and I sat beside his bed on my knees.

"Alice, I want you to have a good spring break. And I want you to make wise decisions. If you're in any trouble, you can call me." He said quietly.

"I love you, too, Hunter." I smiled. Hunter cradled my head in his hand and lightly kissed my forehead. I stood, and on the way out, I turned back to him and he was staring at the ceiling again.

"Hunter. Take care of Boo. And take care of Mom. Good-bye." I said.

And that was that. So, I picked up my suitcases, my carry-on, and my purse, and walked downstairs, kissed the sleeping Boo goodbye and walked out the door. I closed it quietly behind me, and there in the blue morning I saw Emmett's headlights and he opened the trunk. He helped me lift my suitcases into the trunk. I waved goodbye to my brother from the second story window, and we headed of to paradise.


	2. Memory Lane

Emmett and I were driving down the highway, listening to the radio. "Baby" by Justin Bieber came on and I started singing along. Emmett scoffed.

"How can you like this guy? He sounds like a girl. I have more testosterone in one eyelash than he has in his whole body." He teased.

"Yeah, you're a raging bag of hormones." I said.

"You got it, babe." He said, leaning over from the driver's seat, and licking my cheek. I wiped it off and he laughed.

"Ewww, Emmett! That's disgusting. Sick-o." I said, rubbing my face wildly.

"You know you liked it." He joked.

"Yeah, sure." I said.

As we drove down the highway, Emmett and I took a trip down memory lane.

"You remember in third grade when you used to pull me around the neighborhood in your little red wagon and pretend that you were the taxi driver?" I said, laughing.

"I kind of still am. I take you everywhere with me." He said, smiling.

"Yeah. My big-headed chauffer." I joked. I twisted a strand of my hair and put my feet up in the seat.

"You remember in sixth grade when Mrs. Kowalski told us we had that poetry assignment, and you wrote that deep, sensitive poem with all those words I couldn't understand and I wrote that lame piece of crap?"

"Oh, gosh…Oh, yeah! I remembered that! Ha-ha, that was sad, Emmett. Really sad." I said. "How did it go again?"

"Um…something like,

'Mrs. Kowalski said I had to write a poem. So I'm writing a poem. It won't rhyme because it's a stupid poem. In fact, the only thing that rhymes in this poem is poem. It doesn't have a rhyme scheme either, because this is a queer poem. It may be the easy way out, but still it's a poem. Nothing rhymes with poem. Except poem. So…screw it.'" He guffawed.

"Oh my gosh! What did Mrs. Kowalski say?" I chirped.

"After I read it for the class, and they all laughed, Mrs. Kowalski stood, sighed, and walked out of the classroom. She was gone for the rest of the period. Word is, she was curled up in a ball, crying in the teacher's lounge. I may have emotionally disturbed her." He said. I smiled.

"You remember when we opened a "sidewalk thrift store" and we stood there in your dad's oversized suit jackets that reached our shins and top hats trying to sell things that people wouldn't buy in years like gum wrappers, pieces of string, macaroni art, old buttons, shoe laces, broken crayons, dried out markers, shells we found, and stuff like that?" I said.

"You remember when we put on a play in your family room? About you, the diner waitress, named Norah, and me, the lonely traveler. It was a musical, remember? We named it "Can I Take Your Order?" and had music and choreography and everything? We invited the whole neighborhood." He said.

"Oh, that was so much fun! 'Can I take your order, sir? Yes, I'd like a slice of pie and coffee!' I loved singing with you. We should be a famous duet." I said.

And that's when Party in the U.S.A by Miley Cyrus came on. We both gagged. Don't get us wrong. We love Party in the U.S.A. But it brought back horrible memories.

"Cardio Day!" we groaned in unison. The day once a week that destroyed life as we know it. Cardiovascular exercises nonstop for an hour. We had to do running, and stairs, and ladders, and more running, and medicine balls, and sit-ups, and jogging, and more running. And somehow, gym coaches think that music helps ease physical pain. So we poured sweat and stretched burning muscles and limbs to their physical limit to the tune of Party in the U.S.A. And that was that. We'd just arrived in Myrtle Beach. We pulled in to the parking lot of the beach-front resort. Check in was fun. Not really. Anyway, we had a lot of luggage. We had to get two luggage carts and we both still had to carry bags. We got to our room on the 8th floor. I opened the door. The room was beautiful. We walked in and saw the humungous kitchen and the two bedrooms. Of course, I called the bigger one. You should have seen the big bed. It might be bigger than my room! The dining room table looked like it should be where you sit discussing a case in a boardroom. The lamps varied from table lamps to hanging lamps. Our suite had dimming lights. I smelled the flowers in the vase sitting by the door. Emmett did the same and he sneezed. He pouted when I called dibs on the master bedroom, but he was willing to settle. After all, the other room had a bed that was still pretty big. We unpacked our stuff. I needed all of the drawer space and closet room I could get. Practically squeezed it all in. I looked at the digital clock. 12:14P.M. Just about noon. I pulled out my cell phone. I dialed the number. I heard the rings. She answered.

"Hello?"

"Alice? Hello?" My mom said.

"Yeah, it's me." I said.

"I cannot believe you left. I did not give you permission to leave home!" She screeched.

"It was not your choice, mother." I said, level-headedly.

"Of course it was my choice! I am your mother! You are still a child, Alice!"

"I am 18. I am a legal adult. I make my own decisions. I'm not coming back right now. I'm going to stay here, with Emmett, until the end of my break, and then I will come back. I will accept whatever punishment you give me, although I haven't committed a crime, so it's unreasonable to punish an innocent adult. I will not apologize, however. Apologies are a sign of weakness, and I will not be a weak person. But I will still be your daughter. I will call you later. Goodbye. Oh, and tell Hunter I said hi." I said, and hung up. And that was that.

Emmett walked in, grinning.

"Get changed, Alice. We are going down to the beach!" He shouted.

"Shh! Emmett, we have neighbors. Geez. Let me dress in peace." I pushed him out. He sat outside my door, whimpering loudly like a doggy. I laughed and looked over my options. I decided to wear my white Op bikini. I put on an oversized Paramore t-shirt over top of it. I walked out and Emmett was waiting there in a t-shirt and swim trunks. He stood up and grabbed my arm, tugging me out the door.

"Come on!" He said, and we walked out to the beach. But I was moving slower than him. He said I was slowing the process. So he threw me over his shoulder and carried me through the sand.

"I get it! Put me down, Emmett." I squealed. He did. I took off my Paramore t-shirt and Emmett grinned a stupid, goofy grin.

"Whoa. Alice, will you marry me?" He said, looking me over.

"Are the hormones raging, Emmett?" I teased.

"No. I can control myself." He said.

"Oh, really?" I said. I wrapped my arms around Emmett's neck, entwining my fingers in his hair. I wrapped my legs around his waist, and brought his head down to mine. I nibbled his ear, and he moaned, but he didn't move from his position, holding me loosely. Lifelessly. What a marshmallow. I pressed my lips to his ear, and whispered.

"I highly doubt that."

And that was that. I let go, and when I looked at his face his eyes were closed. He sighed and opened his eyes.

"Alice Swan, you are an evil, little pixie." He smirked, and picked me up. He took me to the ocean and threw me in.

"Ahhhh!!! Emmett! Ugh!" I screamed.

And we swam and I sunbathed and Emmett got pinched when he sat on a crab and I buried him in sand and we made a sandcastle for most of the day. But then he stood and looked at me and said,

"I'm hungry."

So we went back to the hotel, and I took a shower and put on black shorts and a long, baggy red tank top and silver strappy sandals. I curled my hair. It hung in ringlets. Emmett was in the living room, waiting for me. He was wearing a Nickleback t-shirt and khaki shorts and sandals. We got in his car and he started the ignition.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"One of my favorite restaurants in all of Myrtle Beach." He smiled, and we drove off into the night.


	3. Surprise, Surprise!

"Whoa! What is this place?" I said in amazement.

"This…," Emmett gestured to the blue glowing circular building, "is Planet Hollywood!"

He escorted me in and walked up to the waitress, using his best fancy tone, although we looked—and were—nothing near fancy.

"Excuse me. Table for two, please. The lady and I would like a booth with a view." He grinned.

"Right this way." The waitress said cheerfully. Her name is Sam

She put us in a booth near the really, really, really big T.V. Our waiter, Caleb, came and asked us for our drink orders.

"What can I get you to drink?" Caleb said.

"Okay, garcon, I'd like a Mug's root bear, and what will you have, Alice?"

"Um…I shall have a Dr. Pepper." I said.

"Okay, I'll be right back with your drinks." Caleb said, smiling, stifling a laugh. Apparently he found us funny. He came back with our sodas, and pulled out his notepad thingy.

"What'll it be?" Caleb asked.

"I'll have the steak. Alice?"

"Can I get the turkey club sandwich?" I asked.

"Sure. I'll be back with your food. Please feel free to walk around. The gift shop is up front and the bar is upstairs." He said and bounded away.

"C'mon, Alice. I want to show you around." He said. He yanked me by my arm and I followed. He led me in to another part of the restaurant off to the side. There were props and statues of props and characters from famous movies. There was a statue of Arnold as the bloody half-human half-robot in The Terminator. I can't pronounce his last name without getting tongue-tied. How do you even spell that? Anyway, there were the two monsters from Beetle Guise there. You know. The one with the hand on its head and the other with the things in its mouth. I haven't seen that movie in so long. I looked at Emmett and he looked at me and we started singing the song from the movie.

"Day-o! Me say day, me say day, me say day, me say day, me say day-o. Daylight come and me wan' go home. Day-o! Me say day, me say day, me say day, me say day, me say day-o. Daylight come and me wan' go home!" we sang loudly. Other roaming people paid us no mind. We saw props from The Titanic movie. The silverware and plates and such. It was so cool! I saw Superwoman's costume, which is like Superman but it's, like, a woman. We saw costumes of Superheroes I've never even seen. We saw Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble's costume and their bowling balls and pins. It was so cool. Even the bathrooms were cool! The bathroom was pink. Very pink! It was like a dream. And the floor was tilted which gives the effect that you're going to fall but you won't because nothing good happens when you fall in a public restroom. Anyway, after we ate, we went to the gift shop and I bought a Planet Hollywood t-shirt. Emmett got a keychain and a cup.

We drove back to the hotel in the night time. It was gorgeous. I loved seeing the ocean at night. It's beautiful. Emmett and I laughed all the way home, telling crazy stories, like old times. Once we got back to the suite, I put on my pajamas. I wore my pink Planet Hollywood t-shirt and blue Soffes. I hugged Emmett goodnight and he went to his room and I went to mine. I watched Comedy Central all night. I love watching Comedy Central Presents. It's my favorite. I fell asleep around 11:30, I think. But Emmett woke me up.

"Pssst! Pssssst!" He said, kneeling beside my bed. I looked at the clock and groaned.

"Emmett, it is 1:17 in the morning. What do you need?" I mumbled, half-asleep.

"I had a bad dream." He said.

"Awww. You want to tell me about it?' I asked. He thought about it.

"No. I just…can I stay in here with you?" He asked, using his puppy-dog face.

"Sure thing." I said, scooting over. He climbed in to the big huge bed with me and laid his head on the pillow facing me. He sighed. I slid my hand under his neck and scratched the back of his head, like he likes. It puts him to sleep faster. Within minutes, his eyes drooped, and he closed them. But he wasn't asleep just yet.

"You died." He said, opening his tired eyes to look at me. I was confused. I laid my head on my forearm.

"What?" I asked.

"In my dream, you were dying, and I was running, but my legs wouldn't move fast enough and you died. I woke up, cried a little bit, and came in here to make sure you were alive. I just don't want to leave you, and something happens to you. Don't put me through that. Don't ever put me out." He said quietly.

"Oh, Emmett. I would never. You know life wouldn't be the same without you." I said and kissed his nose. But he was asleep, breathing slow, even breaths.

So I followed his example, and I curled up under his arm, but somehow, even in sleeping, it felt like he was trying to protect me. Soon, I fell asleep.

I woke up at 6:00A.M. I had one new message from Jamie, so I read it. And, oh crap, what I read wasn't good. I slid out from under Emmett's arm. He was still sleeping. I put on a pair of shorts and a black sequin tank top and a cardigan. It was sort of chilly outside this morning. But I walked out to the beach barefoot, anyway. The sun was rising, and the sky was a pinkish-purple color mixed with gold. It was beautiful. Good for thought, which is what I needed right now. I knew Emmett did things that weren't always smart, but this was over the top. What Jamie told me…. Why did she tell me? I hardly ever even talk to her. Not after the fight we had. We haven't been the same since. Lunch time is awkward. Classes are quiet. But I don't mind. I pulled my hair into a loose ponytail. Loose strands blew around my face from the sea breeze. Ocean mist hung in the air, and the cold somehow let me breathe easier. The sun was getting higher in the sky, but still not many people were out. There were mainly people looking for shells, turtles, or crabs, or couples taking walks on the beach.

I didn't hear when Emmett walked up behind me. He sat beside me. I pulled my knees to my chest.

"You're awake. Half an hour ago, you seemed dead to the world." I joked half-heartedly.

"Yes, here I am. What's up? Why are you out here?" He asked.

"Oh. Um, nothing. Just thinking." I said.

"About what?" His eyebrows knit together in confusion.

"You. And Jamie." I said sheepishly.

"Oh."

"Did you tell your parents what you did to her?" I asked.

"No and I don't plan to." He said monotonously.

"How far along?"

"Three months."

"That long, huh?" I nodded absently.

"Yeah. I don't think she wants it." He said.

"She doesn't? So what is she gonna do? Abortion? Adoption?" I said worriedly.

"I'm trying to convince her to let me keep the baby." He said, sifting sand through his fingers.

"I cannot believe Jamie is pregnant. I can't believe you did it." I said.

"I know. I made a mistake." He said.

"On the contrary. I don't think it was a mistake. I think it's wonderful. You made a life. You brought forth a living, breathing being. It's no mistake. It's a miracle. And I don't hate you for it. I think you should have waited but it's still no difference. Happy Fatherhood." I said, smiling. He smiled, too.

"Thank you, Alice." He said, standing. He held out his hand for me to take and pulled me up into his embrace, enclosing me in a massive bear hug.

"Okay, Yogi. You're welcome. Now could you please quit trying to squeeze me to death? I don't want to look like something made in arts & crafts." I gasped.

"Sure thing!" He put me down, laughing boisterously.

Emmett piggy-backed me back to the hotel. I put on my bikini and went downstairs to the pool. It was open. I jumped in, and my hair stuck to my back and arms. Emmett jumped in, splashing me. We swam together down to the bottom of the deep end. I came back up, I was so short, I couldn't reach my legs to the bottom of the pool, so I had to wrap my legs around Emmett's waist just to keep my head above the water. He laughed at me, and dunked my head in the water. I screamed, and clung back on to him, pinching his nose. He stopped laughing and looked at me, as if to examine me. I looked into his eyes. They were blue with tiny flecks of green near the middle. His hand was at the small of my back and his other was on my waist.

"You know, Alice, you really are a gorgeous girl." He said. I pushed me wet hair back and it moved with me in the water. I started breathing heavily, as Emmett brought his face closer to mine. Was it obvious that I wanted him to kiss me? Was it obvious that I was in love with him? Dang it. I'm so transparent. Why couldn't I be harder to read? I entwined my fingers in his hair and brought his face down to mine, much like I did yesterday, but instead of whispering, I brought his lips to mine, and softly, they moved in time with each other. And that was that. We kissed. Emmett and I kissed. The kid I've known practically my whole life, my best friend, and I just kissed him. This changes things. He cleared his throat.

"Well, this changes things." He nodded, breathlessly.

"What about Jamie?" I asked, feeling guilty.

"She broke up with me."

"Oh."

"I love you, though. I always did." He admitted.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was scared." He said, turning his face away from me. I pulled his head back to look at me.

"You never had to be afraid. Even if I didn't love you, which I do, by the way, I wouldn't have pushed you away. I'll never be able to. I can't go a day without you." I said breathlessly.

"So are we just laying it all down on the table right now?" He chuckled.

"Guess so." I said.

"Well, I think you are the most stubborn, ignorant, hard-headed…kindest, smartest, funniest, sweetest, sexiest, most beautiful girl I have ever had the pleasure of meeting." He smiled at me.

"Well, thank you. And you are the most boisterous, rambunctious, noisy, clumsy, reckless, funniest, sweetest, cutest, most handsome guy I've ever known." I said, kissing him tenderly. He kissed me back with more force, and I moaned. Someone cleared their throat. We looked up. Apparently it was a hotel manager named Sara and she wasn't really appreciating us making out in the pool. I chuckled nervously, but Emmett acted as clueless and utterly dumb, which I fully expected.

"Can I help you with something, ma'am?" He said cheerfully.

"Yeah, you can help me by not swapping spit in my pool. Thanks." She said and walked out.

I laughed and dove down. Emmett followed. Soon, little gap-toothed children with lisps in colorful, frilly bathing suits poured in to the pool, squealing shrill little squeals, exclaiming that the water is cold. So Emmett and I left the pool and went back to the hotel room. I took a shower, and got dressed in a shirt that says "Lookin' like a Fool with Your Pants on the Ground" and some Daisy Dukes. It was still early. It's only a little after 9A.M. So, I decided to make us breakfast. I made pancakes and bacon. Emmett came up behind me, and wrapped his arms around my waist, resting his chin on my shoulder. He sighed contently.

"It feels good to be in love." He smiled.

"I thought you were always in love with me." I teased.

"Yes, and so far my life has been good. Please don't ever change that."

"I would never. I might be able to beat you at thumb-wrestling, but I would never go as far as to break your heart." I laughed.

"Yeah, well I dominate in everything else because I'm a ninja!" He snorted.

"Yeah, well, Mr. Ninja, I was a cheerleader. Cheerleaders beat Ninjas. Ha!"

"You were a cheerleader? Man, I'd like to see you in that uniform." He said. I giggled, pushing him away.

"It was for about all of middle school! I was a little kid back then, you pervert!"

"Aw, I'm sorry, babe. Forgive me?" He said, kissing my temple.

"Well…okay, fine. You are forgiven." I said. We sat at the dining room table and I laughed as he made a pancake smiley-face with bananas and whipped cream and then drowned it in maple syrup.

"Have you realized that you have the diet of a six-year-old? Do you need so much sugar? You're hyped up enough as is." I chuckled, taking the syrup out of his hands.

"I cannot help it. I'm a sugar-addict. It's a better alternative to weed." He said, chewing slowly, watching my expression. My eyes widened.

"I'm just kidding!" He said, bursting out laughing.

"Oh, my gosh! Don't play like that!" I said

After breakfast, Emmett helped me with the dishes; I washed and he dried. I walked out to the balcony and pulled a pack of cigarettes and a lighter out of my pocket. Smoking is something I do on a regular basis ever since dad left two years ago. I turned my head towards the sliding door, as Emmett stepped out on to the balcony. He leaned against the railing, and took a cigarette out of the pack. I handed him the lighter and he lit up. He blew out a puff of smoke and sighed, his eyebrows knit together in disappointment and frustration.

"Alice, we really should quit smoking. It's not good for us." He said.

"Yeah, especially when my mom doesn't know. But I don't see how I'll be able to do it. It's a nasty habit. Sort of a crutch." I sighed.

"I know it's been tough for you." He said, rubbing my back gently.

"Can I come live with you?" I asked.

"Sure! You can have my room. I'll sleep on the couch."

"I'm gonna have to break it to my mom."

"I'll help."

"Good!" I laughed, and stomped out my cigarette.

"Hey, I want to take you somewhere." He said.

"Where?"

"Just out to have a little fun." He said.

"Emmett, where could you possibly take me? Every day is fun with you." I said.

"You'll see. Go put your shoes on and I'll meet you at the car." He said, jingling his keys. I smiled and put my flip-flops on. I never realized, but I love how Emmett keeps me on my toes, with surprises around every corner. He's the perfect guy. He's the perfect…boyfriend.


	4. Nothing But Fun

"Emmett, I am not getting a tattoo!" I yelled, pulling against his hold on my wrist.

"Come on. Loosen up. It's just a henna tattoo." He said rolling his eyes playfully, and dragged me into the little store full of useless junk, like keychain flashlights, beads, and shot glasses. He pulled me to the counter and told the man we wanted henna tattoos.

"Which one do you want?" The employee asked. He was a handsome, dirty-blonde, tall, college looking guy, with deep blue eyes, almost like Emmett's; although nothing and no one's can compare to Emmett's eyes. Emmett saw me staring at the cute guy, and I think he got jealous. He draped his arm across my shoulders, and spoke in my direction, while at the same time not taking his eyes off the cute guy.

"Which tat do you want, babe?" He said loudly. The cute guy looked up to watch us talk.

"Um…I don't know. You brought me here. Anything, I guess." I shrugged.

"The lady and I would like matching tattoos. I want her name, and she'd like mine. Is that okay?" He asked. It kind of sounded like a question for me and the cute guy at the same time but, with Emmett, you never know.

"It's cool." I said. So, I went first. I wanted to get Emmett's name on my lower back, right above my butt. I had to pull my shorts down a little, and I think the cute guy, whose name is Dallas, sneaked a peak at my butt. Also, I had to lean forward a little and place my arms on the counter for balance and Dallas placed one hand on my waist to keep me still and stood behind me with the tattoo paint gun thingy.

"I hope you don't mind." He said when he put his hand on my waist.

"It's okay. I don't mind." I said. But Emmett minded. He sat quietly in the corner, arms folded across his chest, glowering at Dallas. I felt bad that he was jealous, so I pulled out my phone and sent him a text.

_E__mmett, are you really getting jealous?_

Send. I heard his phone vibrate a few seconds later. He pulled out his phone, and read it. He texted me back.

_N__o…I just don't like seeing some stranger all over you._

I read it, and resisted the urge to smile. Now I felt super guilty, and yet I felt loved and special and happy that he cares so much. Problem is, I didn't know whether I should feel guilt or love the most. I texted him back.

_E__mmett, listen to me. I love YOU. Only you. No matter how many incredibly amazing guys come along, you're always the best. You'll always be my first choice. Don't be jealous. I love you._

I sent it to him and he smiled. He looked up at me and I blew him a kiss. He didn't even bat an eye after I giggled when Dallas ran his fingers across my skin. After Emmett got my name in tattoo form (he got it on his arm so he wouldn't have to bend over), we paid and walked out.

"That was really fun, Emmett." I said, tying my shirt high so the paint would dry.

"Oh, that wasn't the thing I was taking you to do. That was just for fun." He grinned, pulling me further down the street, where more and more people started coming up and down the street for some odd reason.

"Where…are we…going?" I said, pausing to look at every passing person.

"There's a joint park here. On one side of the street there is an amusement park. On the other side there is a water park. I thought we would have fun if we went. We can buy wrist bands and get admission to both parks for a few days." He said, intertwining his fingers with mine. I smiled.

"Sounds fun." I said, and let him pull me to the entrance and buy our wristbands. The person snapped them on and cut off the dangly end of the plastic thingy. We walked in and the first thing I saw was vending machines and I funnel cake cart. I examined the rest of the park. There was one of those drop tower thingies, a log water ride, and some games. Not much until the bridge to the rest of the park. There were balloons and rides with cars connected that spin you around the tracks, and the high swings that seem to spin you into the sun, and the ride that is similar to spinning teacups, except in the shape of apples, and a wooden rollercoaster, and those bouncy things that they put you in a harness connected to those elastic bands and you can bounce and flip and stuff, and a Ferris wheel, and a spinning pirate ship, and booths with games and prizes.

"Whoa!" I exclaimed.

"What do you want to ride first?" He said.

"I want to go on that tower ride." I said pulling him back to the line. Not many people were left here since most of them had been here all day and were leaving. The park still didn't close until later so we didn't have to wait long. We got on and the ride operator told us to take off our shoes and leave them in front of us or else we might lose them on the drop, so we did so. Emmett sat beside me and then there were three other people that sat on the opposite side of the entire circle. Not a lot of people, as I said, which made it all the more better. So once we were buckled in and checked, the man said "all clear" to no one in general, I'm guessing, and started the ride. We began to slowly crawling up the tower, and we do what everyone loves to do on these kinds of rides: we build up the suspense as if this were the climax in our lives; the turning point where we may never see each other again. Emmett and I reached out for each other's hands.

"I love you, baby!" He shouted.

"I'm going to miss you!" I yelled, and whimpered audibly. I threw in a few good sniffles, while Emmett pretended to bawl his eyes out and I'm pretty sure the people on the other end of the circle were getting freaked, exchanging frightened glances. We were reaching the top, and Emmett and I gazed at each other one last time, and I started the silent countdown in my head. 5…4…3…2…And the ride shot downward. It is always my challenge not to scream on the drop towers, so I clenched my teeth and breathed through my nose, while Emmett screamed his head off, erupting in laughter. It was so much fun and we got back to the bottom. I felt a pain in my jaw and I could taste something in my mouth. Something unpleasant and metallic-like. _Blood._ I put my shoes on and ran for the vending machine, sliding a dollar in and retrieving a water bottle. I took a sip, swished, and spit in a nearby trash can. The blood was gone and replaced with a stinging sensation. Emmett ran over, still laughing.

"Alice, you didn't scream―" he cut himself short, and ran over to my hunched-over figure. "Alice, what's wrong?" He said worriedly.

"Nothing. I just didn't scream because I had my teeth clenched. But now my jaw kind of hurts and I bit my tongue and it was bleeding. I just needed some water." I said smiling.

"Oh, okay good. You scared me." He sighed in relief.

"But that was super-fun!" I squealed. I pulled him around to every ride. We had so much fun. On the rides that we could sit together, we cuddled up together and he slung his arm around mine and I laid my head in his shoulder. I beat him at the water gun booth game and won a Scooby-Doo. We rode the swings and I held my hand out of my swing to look like I was touching the sun. We went on the bouncy-harness-elastic-band thing. I did a bunch of flips and things, and all he could do was jump higher and higher and then almost do a flip. Almost. And the only rides I get motion-sickness on are the spinning apples and the Ferris wheel. And we went on both. Ugh, it wasn't pleasant. On the spinning apples, I started turning pale, and my head hit the side of the apple. I moaned and Emmett saw I wasn't turning the wheel with him. Instead my hands had gone limp, and the tips on my fingers were the only thing still on the wheel, just hanging lifelessly.

"Alice? What's the matter? Alice? Alice! Can you hear me?" He yelled, shaking me. I swatted at his hand to get him to stop shaking me. My head was already pounding. I placed one hand on my head to steady myself, and one hand on the wall of the apple.

"Loud and clear. Please stop shouting. I get motion-sick on rides like the apples. I have to lay down on these rides or else I upchuck." I said, taking deep breaths. Emmett pulled me to his side and I laid my head on his chest putting my feet up on the seat, and curled up under his arm. It was dark in our little apple cave-like car, and I could hear the wind whooshing around it. This helped calm me down and I was asleep in seconds. Four minutes later, the ride slowly began to seize itself, and my eyes fluttered open. I stumbled down the little metal steps and into Emmett's arms. I rubbed my eyes.

"Welcome back to the world. This is called ground. This is called sky. This is called person. Did you miss it all?" He mocked.

"Yeah, I was on Pluto and I have no recognition of any of these objects." My tone leaked with sarcasm, and I rolled my eyes playfully.

Later, on the Ferris wheel, I started slumping in my seat, trying not to look at the ground a few hundred feet below. My cheeks burned and I started turning green. The Ferris wheel stopped and Emmett and I were stuck at the top.

"Man…we're up pretty high, huh?" I said, clutching the big umbrella that was connected to our Ferris wheel car.

"Alice…you're clutching that umbrella for dear life. Why didn't you tell me you were scared of heights?" He said.

"I'm not afraid of heights. It's just like the apples. I get sick, which makes me more nervous to be up here, because if I black out or I'm not conscious, I could fall right out." I said shakily.

"Alice, maybe once we got off we should call it a day." He said, stroking my hair.

"No…I don't want to leave yet." I said, although I must admit I was kind of tired, and my eyelids were feeling heavy. Not that I was going to tell Emmett that. This day was just too special to end right now.

"Alice, you look beat. We should head home." He said.

"Can we stay half an hour longer?" I begged.  
"Alice…"

"Please???" I said, my lower lip quivering.

"Okay, fine. Half an hour. That's it." He said, giving in.

So we rode the rollercoaster and the swings and bought a funnel cake and watched the sunset from a table. We walked back to the hotel hand in hand, and thoughts ran through my head. Emmett loves me, right? So why is Jamie the one having a baby? Am I jealous? I kind of do want a baby…But it would be a mistake to have one this early in life. Would Emmett leave me if I were having a baby? What would Hunter say? What would my mother say? How could I finish senior year and raise a child? Where would we live? How would I be able to buy him or him necessary things? I don't even have a job any more. I quit working at Sonic. How would I find time for friends, or even Emmett? It's too soon. I might as well just not worry about it right now. I think Emmett was curious why I was staring off in the distance as we walked in the warm, breezy night.

"What are you thinking about?" He said. I didn't know exactly how to put it without being straightforward, which I couldn't do at the moment. So instead I said something specific but not literal.

"I'm trying to figure out my level of responsibility, and how my choices will affect me in the future." I said. He gave me a quizzical look.

"Alice, what are you getting at?" He asked.

"Nothing. I just want to make sure I have a good, long, successful life, and I always want you in it." I smiled.

"No worries. I always will be." He said, and I was content as we headed up the stairs to our room.


	5. Can you keep a secret?

When we got home from the amusement park, we trudged in the door, so tired we couldn't say another word. I showered, and threw on some pajamas. I turned on the T.V. It was almost 11 P.M. I don't know what was on but I didn't bother to find out. I was so beat, I could sleep for a year, get up for a glass of water then sleep for another decade or two. Emmett crawled in to bed with me, too, and we fell asleep cuddled up together, me scratching the back of his head and him tracing invisible figure-8's on my leg.

When I woke up, I was clutching a daisy instead of Emmett. There was a little note scribbled on a piece of paper sitting on his pillow.

_I'm outside on the beach._

So, I pulled my hair into a ponytail and walked out barefoot to where he lay. There was a blanket and a basket full of different foods and drinks and music playing and pillows to sit or lay on. But on one of those pillows was Emmett's head resting and breathing heavily. He fell asleep. I knelt in the sand and tapped his chest with my finger. He sniffled and rubbed his eyes. They were sort of red and puffy. Emmett had been crying. There was hardly ever a time that I'd seen Emmett cry. We'd had plenty of sleepovers and I was always the one to cry. I'd spill my heart out about my parents' divorce, and then my dad dying, and how distant my mom had become. It was so easy to share things with him. I'd talk and he'd listen. That was that. But he never usually opened up to anyone. He was the healer not the broken heart, and I guess I never knew what to make of that. But now he was hurting and I had to help him. I sat on my heels behind the still-sleeping Emmett and lifted his head into my lap. He blinked wildly in a confused manner, but he was calm then and sighed contently and rubbed his blood-shot, sad eyes. Had I mentioned his eye color was the most extraordinary color? I loved getting lost in his blue eyes and counting the green flecks scattered throughout. Although he thought my eyes were the most brilliant shade of emerald green, I just thought they looked like crayons. I have to admit that sometimes I don't have the best self-confidence. But it's gotten better since this week. Emmett was looking up at me now. I kissed his forehead and smoothed his hair.

"Emmett, do you want to tell me why you're crying?" I said soothingly.

"I'd rather not." He said.

"Well luckily, it isn't an option. Now spill it." I said.

"My little sister, Bella, is in 8th grade and my mom called to say she's been getting into fights at school. I think about how that used to be you, jumping on the backs of other girls, slapping and pulling hair. It made me laugh." He said, and chuckled. "But then I found out why Bella has been fighting so much. It's because of my father. She was saying that my dad's my dad was being abusive to Bella. He was beating her and made her fight back. She had the bruises…the ones she cried over. And now my father is in jail. This also brought me back to you, thinking how much you and Bella are alike, and what you were like before the divorce…" He hesitated, obviously looking deeper into things than necessary.

"Alice, did your father abuse you?" He blurted out words tumbling over words as he looked at me in fright. I gasped. I hadn't been expecting this question, because no one ever bothered to ask. I instinctively raised my hand to neck, where there was a permanent scar across my collarbone that had faded white. No one could notice it compared to my skin, except me. I was the one who lived it, who knew what the scar meant and why it was there. I was always a stubborn child. And my father did abuse me. I had lived through welts, and scars, and cuts, and bruises for two years until he left. And I never even told Emmett that. I couldn't bring it up without screaming.

"Is that why you were crying?" I asked, hoping the thickness in my voice wasn't obvious.

"Yes. Is it such a wonder that I was worried about you?" He asked.

"No, I'm quite touched that you are such an adoring fan of me. Although, you're halfway to the point of being stalker-y. It's creepy, you know." I joked, but he didn't smile.

"Alice, this is nothing to joke about. I care about you and your wellbeing. I _love_ you." He said, still looking up at me from where his head lay in my lap. His eyes bore into mine and I thought: eh, well, guess it's time to fess up.

"It was such a long time ago. I was like nine or something. It doesn't even matter now. It's irrelevant." I tried to persuade him. I leaned back looking at the pink gold sunrise.

"I don't think it is. Even if your bruises healed, your heart and mental sanity is still damaged." He said, sitting up now. "Come here." He said, pulling me into a warm embrace. And that was that. I shook with painful sobs, crying my eyes out. I clutched Emmett's shirt, and burying my face into his chest. My scream was muffled by the fabric between us. His skin was warm and comforting but I was so cold. I pulled myself into the circle of his arms and begged him not to let go. He was crying also. But silent crying, letting tears run down his face, sniffling every once in a while. I got tired of crying, knowing it was useless since it was far in the past. _Don't look back_ I told myself bravely, and took a deep breath, pulling away to dry my eyes. I looked at Emmett's blue cotton shirt, and groaned.

"Ugh, I am so sorry. I got tear stains all over your nice shirt." I said, dropping my head into my hands.

"It's fine, Alice. Don't sweat it. It's just a shirt. You were in pain. That's the most important thing." He patted my shoulder.

"Thanks. Hey, Emmett, I gotta make a call. I'll be right back." I said, scurrying back up the beach to the hotel. I pulled out my cell phone, and dialed the number I knew by heart. I dialed the one person I really wanted to talk to: My brother, Hunter. The phone rang only twice and he answered mid-ring.

"Hello?" He asked.

"Hunter?" I spoke into the phone.

"Alice. What's wrong? Are you hurt? Do I need to come get you?" He panicked. I realized the sound of tears was still very present in my voice.

"No, I just wanted to talk to you." I said.

"Oh. Well, I'm here."

"Okay. Um…how was your relationship with Dad?" my voice broke on dad. "You know, before he left."

"I don't know. I never thought of him as my father, really. I kind of feel bad about thinking like that. But he never did the things a father did. Why do you ask?"

"I just—I don't know. I…Hunter, he beat me! He abused me! I'm glad he's dead, because I couldn't have lived through that torture!" I screamed into the receiver. Silence on the other end.

"Hunter? Are you still there?"

"Yeah, still here."

"Well?"

"I didn't know…"

"That's why I told you."

"I saw the bruises." He said.

"Huh?"

"The bruises. I saw them. I never knew why they were there. I just thought you were accident prone. You acted like they were nothing. Your collarbone…." When he said it, my hand went back up to my neck. I felt like the world would come crashing down on me. There are so many things I'd hidden from everyone, even Hunter. I felt like everything was backwards, and I'm falling from the sky.

"Hunter, I've been hiding things from you. I'm the reason Stephanie broke up with you. I told her you were telling all your friends that you got lucky with her, but only because she was cheating on you with the swim team. And I made out with your best friend Collin so he wouldn't tell you about it. And eight months ago, I started smoking. And just yesterday, I found out Emmett loves me. And now we are boyfriend and girlfriend, and I don't think I wanna come home." I blurted.

"Oh. Well, you don't have to come home right now. Spring break ends next week."

"No, Hunter. I don't want to come home, ever. I don't like Fort Mill anymore. I heard about Jamie and I'm…kind of jealous. I want to start my life now. I don't want to wait. I only want him. Forever." I whispered. I heard Hunter suck in a deep breath, as if each word were a punch in the gut. I felt bad, because I needed him. He needed me. It was always hard for him to talk to mom so he'd talk to me. He never really has a plan. About anything. Half the time he just stands there, staring at the wall, or he'll walk from one room to another, as if he can't decide where he was supposed to be. Well, I know that he's supposed to be with me. We've always been joined at the hip. But he graduated last year and I'm graduating this year. He's got to have something in mind other than hanging out with his little sister. I'm already itching to fly out of the nest, while he's stumbling along, just looking for a way to survive. I hate that I'd be doing this to him. But, to my surprise, that wasn't his biggest concern.

"Wait, what happened to Jamie?" he asked.

"Hunter, she's pregnant." I said.

"Oh. Oh! Oh…Alice, don't tell me you're…" He started. I already knew what he was going to say.

"No, I haven't. I just…I can imagine it in my mind and how great it would be to hold a precious miracle in my arms while Emmett holds me in his." I said.

"Well, I can't keep you from this. You're eighteen. So…well, just do what's right in your heart." He said, the words of wisdom piercing my heart.

"I won't. I'll call you later. Love you, Hunter." I said, sniffling.

"Love you, Alice." He said, although he sounded pretty heartbroken. I'm leaving him. Ugh, why am I such a terrible person?

"Oh, and you shouldn't smoke. It's a filthy habit." He said, a smile in his voice. I chuckled.

"Bye, Hunter."

"Bye." He hung up.

I drew in a deep breath and made my way back down to the beach. Emmett was in the same position I found him in half an hour earlier, sleeping on the blanket. Except, this time, the shirt, that I soaked with my tears, was lying on the ground. He opened his eyes, when I tapped him on the chest, and yawned.

"Did you get any sleep last night?" I asked.

"Nope. I was too busy worrying about you." He said, rubbing his eyes.

"Worrying about me? Why would you have to worry?"

"Come here." He said, opening his arms. I lay down with him, resting my chin against his chest and he wrapped his arms around me.

"For some reason, you dreamt about Emily." He said.

"You're dead little sister?" I asked.

"Unfortunately."

"I don't think I…"

"I woke up and you were flailing like mad, whimpering. You started to scream, so I tried to shake you awake, but you kept screaming. You said, 'Emily, no! Run! You need to run! RUN!'. Then, you started crying and throwing punches at me, although I don't believe you were yet conscious. Then, you crawled into a ball nuzzled up against me." He said.

"Oh, how embarrassing! Why am I always doing stupid things? I'm so dramatic. Ugh!" I groaned.

"Do you want to tell me your dream?" He soothed. I looked into his amazing eyes, wishing it were that simple.

"No thank you, no siree Bob, no way! Sorry, shop's closed. Good day and good luck to you!" I said.

"I'll tell you about my dream if you tell me about yours." He said.

"Ok…so I was walking home from piano lessons. And you know that little street I sometimes take shortcuts through? The one with the cars parked on the street instead of the driveway, which I don't get at all. So I was walking down that street but there were only like three cars which was odd. It was really windy and I kept hearing this eerie sound you hear in horror movies ringing in my ears. I was clutching my music to myself, trying to keep warm, when I peered all the way down to the end of the street where Emily stood. She was ghostly pale, but she looked real enough to touch. She did that freaky thing where she flashes from place to place without actually moving, also like in movies. She wore that little white sundress that she wore the day she died. It was somewhat tattered and torn. She also wore monarch butterfly wings on her shoulders **(A/N: This idea I got from the music video for Brick By Boring Brick by Paramore. Especially because I like me some butterflies ****)** and she wore no shoes, because her feet were bare. She flashed over to me and took my hand, walking me slowly down the street towards that break in the trees that leads deep in to the forest. There was a man following us, oddly. I saw something stuck on his belt loop. It was a gun. I could hear him whispering Emily's name. We were in the woods by then. I started softly and frantically speaking to her. I said, 'Emily. I think this isn't the place to be at this time of night.' And I heard rustling of leaves in the trees so I started running. Emily pulled at my grasp on her hand, so I assumed she wanted to run herself. I let go, and kept running. I looked back. She just stood there as the man came closer behind her. My hands were balled into fists and I started screaming, 'Emily, no! Run! You need to run! RUN!' The man picked her up and hoisted her on his waist. As he started to walk away, she turned to me. Her long, blonde hair whipped around her face and she looked at me with her bright blue eyes and said, 'What are you waiting for?' Pain shot through me. I started to run after her, but I started slowing, feeling pain shoot through my body, and I tripped. I lay on the forest floor crying. I was holding a daisy. I heard her distant crying, too, and I knew the daisy was from her. I clutched the daisy to my body and I was wondering why it was turning red. Then I understood why she was crying because as I watching tears fall from her body, she was watching blood fall from mine. I hadn't even heard the paralyzing gunshot aimed at me because I drowned it out with my own screaming. And then…nothing." I said.

"That's so odd. Why would you dream about my dead little sister? She's only six. It makes no sense. She's been dead for eight months. And who in their right minds would steal a little girl?"

"Emmett, this is why I wouldn't tell you. I don't know what it was about. You're going to make something out of nothing. It was just a dream. None of it is real. Why am I comforting you? You're supposed to be comforting me." I said.

"Yes I should. And that's not all entirely true. She loved the piano. That sundress? The white one? It was her absolute favorite. She always walked around barefoot whenever she could. Her favorite flower is a daisy. And she'd always ask me to take her to the woods. And when we did, we would also run. But not away from something. To something. It was a place that absolutely glowed and sparkled with perfection, like pouring sunlight out onto us, and letting it marinate our souls. She said she loved going there because that's where magic lived." He chuckled.

"Emily was where the magic lived." I smiled.

"So true."

"Emmett? What was your dream about?"

"You know when we were little, that big oak tree that was in my front yard?"

"Yeah, I remember it." I said. He held me a little closer.

"Well, I had a dream that we were six again. We were both in my front yard and you were on the swing that was tied to the tree and I was pushing you. And then we swung on the swing together, our toes touching the lowest leaves. Then we were sitting on my doorstep, blowing bubbles. Then we played tag, and you were running across the grass, giggling and I was chasing you. Then you turned to face me and I ran into you and we toppled to the ground. We were both laughing. Then w started pointing out clouds, telling each other what each one looked like. Then when it got a little bit darker, we started catching fireflies and we put them in a jar. We tried naming them but they moved too much. Then we fell asleep under the oak tree with the fireflies between us, lighting up the night. And everything was in semi-slow motion which made it ten times cuter. And I heard You Could Be Happy by Snow Patrol playing as the theme music of my dream." He started laughing. I giggled, too, because we both love that song. It did remind us of our childhood. Especially because it's adorable how it starts out with a music box kind of sound. And how neither of us knew we loved each other, and that we could be happy together. Emmett stood up and pulled me into the circle of his arms. He kissed my forehead. I would never miss these moments and it only made me want to be with him forever. If only we lasted forever. If only we never had to die. If only we had no expiration date. That would be amazing, to always have this feeling, this bond between us. I'd miss it. Always. With interlocked fingers, we walked along the beach, letting the waves rush toward us like long-lost friends to greet us in a foamy celebration, crashing and seeping between our toes as we move along, with a feeling as if we were walking into the sun. This is how I'd picture us forever, and it surprised me to realize that a little spring break trip could open my eyes, and I realized that I could never go back to Fort Mill. I could never go back to being Alice, the girl that hid behind her piano keys and perky smiles. This is where I belong. With the one I love. He was my God-given solace and I'd never be the same. And that was that. Funny how love works, huh? Guess it's just magic.


	6. Hello, I love you

I was laying on the bed of my room—well, I guess our room now—staring at the ceiling, much like Hunter does. Although, I still don't understand what he finds so interesting about it. What does he see? I'm curious to know what he finds so riveting about the roof that sits above him. But I still stare. For some reason, I feel closer to him. Since I probably won't go back, I don't want to lose him, and vice versa. Emmett came and stood in the doorway. I looked up. He was smiling at me.

"How about we go for a walk?" He smiles.

"Hmmm…" I mulled it over. He came and sat on the bed beside me. I grabbed his hand, and twisted it over, looking at the white, puckered scar that ran across his palm. I'd never noticed it before. I wonder how he got it...

"Nah, I think I'd rather just stay here like this. I like this." I said. I leaned up and kissed his neck. He moaned.

"You do this to me, Alice." He says, grabbing fistfuls of my hair, but not in a rough way. It wasn't to cause pain, but to show surrender. I climbed into his lap, and he kissed my lips.

"Jamie is lucky." I whispered into his skin. He pulled away and frowned at me.

"Alice, no. You shouldn't think that way. I'm not going to make the same mistake again."

"Emmett, don't be stupid. I just need you. You can never leave me."

"I wouldn't dream of it."

"Good, because I'm not going back."

"Going back where?"

"Home."

"Of course you are."

"No I'm not."

"Yes, you are, Alice."

"No, dear Emmett, I'm not." I said, crossing my arms.

"Don't be ridiculous. We can't stay here forever, because, A, I don't have enough money for us to live at a hotel. B, we do need an education. C, your brother…your mom…they would miss you so much. And D, My mother would kill me." He chuckled.

"We could live together. We could rent an apartment. I could get a part-time job, and so could you. You could still finish school. I'll do school online or get a private tutor or something. I can't do it anymore. I might try in a year or two…but I'm tired. In a year or two I'll go to college like normal people. We can be normal people." I said. He sighed, but I could tell he was thinking about it.

"Just consider it. We could live at your place until we find one of our own. We could escape…just leave town every Friday. We don't have to be grounded. We can go, Emmett. We can go." I said.

"Alice…" he started, but before he finished, I zoned out. I didn't know what was happening, but my vision started going fuzzy. It blurred into another picture. The picture was fuzzy. I couldn't quite make out what it was. I could see me, and there was something in my hands. I'm not sure what. But I felt as if I was almost there. I could hear and feel my surroundings. The thing in my hands was soft and warm, like a blanket straight out of the dryer. It squirmed in protest, and then settled lying on my chest. It reminded me of Boo. It might've been. I couldn't tell. I heard a soft song…not just any song. I believe it was the demo of me playing Moonrise by Brian Crain. I heard a door open and close, keys drop on the table, and footfalls heading toward me. It was Emmett. He came over, smoothed my hair, kissed my forehead and whispered, "good afternoon." He smiled.

"Alice? Alice. Yoo-hoo? Alice?" Emmett's voice pulled me out of the fuzzy…daydream? Fantasy? I don't even know.

"Huh? Oh. Yeah?" I said.

"What just happened? I was trying to convince you to come back to school and you just sat there with a glazed look, and you had your hands in the weirdest position, like you were holding something, rocking back and forth, and you were humming that song you played for your recital. What was it? Moonrise, I believe." He stared at me, waiting for an answer. I didn't have one. I couldn't tell him about this. He'd think I was crazy. Well maybe I should get therapy. It would help…right? I mean this hasn't happened before. A few months ago, I felt pressure or sort of an itch behind my right eye. Then, A few weeks ago, my vision started zooming in and out, and blurring. I thought I was going blind or something. It stopped about three weeks ago. But now it's gotten out of control. I cleared my throat.

"You know what? How about we go on that walk?"I said, climbing off the bed. Emmett was hot on my heels. I slipped my shirt on, and opened the bedroom door. Don't get the wrong impression, I wasn't naked. I had on an Abercrombie & Fitch bikini top. It's navy blue with a bunch of white moose on it. It's cute. My bikini bottom was on under my shorts. Emmett said it was his favorite of mine to wear. I'm not sure why. So I wore it. We walked down the street, holding hands. We weaved our fingers together, walking hand in hand. I turned his hand over again, seeing the white, puckered scar.

"How did you get this?" I said, holding up his hand.

"Let's just say Jamie had quite an eruption when she found out. I got a cut from the knuckle of my first finger to the top of my wrist bone. That woman can swing." He chuckled.

"Oh." I said, still thinking about Jamie's baby. She wouldn't be a good mother. She can't take care of another human being. She can hardly take care of herself. Was she going to give the baby away? I want a baby. I took a cigarette out of my pocket and lit up. I only took one puff and Emmett pulled the cigarette out of my mouth. He broke it in two, and stamped it in to the ground.

"No, Alice. No more smoking. It's bad." He said, but he looked like he was itching for a cigarette. I groaned. So now I can't smoke? Thanks, Emmett. I need something to relieve stress. I took out a piece of gum and popped it in my mouth, chewing frantically. Two minutes later, I put an additional piece of gum in my mouth. Emmett stopped walking.

"Alice, what's gotten into you? Why do you need cigarettes or gum?" Emmett asked.

"Ugh! I don't know! When things happen…you can't…just…Ugh! You wouldn't understand!" I shouted, attracting attention from passersby.

"I understand what you're going through better than you would think. I've lost people dear to me, and suffered a great deal of pain as well. I know exactly what you're going through." He said, rubbing my shoulder. "Do you remember in fifth grade when I lost my dog, Corduroy? And two days later, I found him dead on the road behind the drug store? Do you know how sad I felt? He came into the family right after I did. The twins weren't even born yet. I used to camp out in his doghouse. I'm too big to do that now, though." He chuckled. It didn't make me feel any better, so I buried my head in to Emmett's chest, and he wrapped his arms around me. I could feel the warmth of his skin through his t-shirt. It was comforting, and it almost kind of made me…sleepy. I sucked in a deep breath through my nostrils. Emmett smelled really good, like a honey almond kind of scent, and something kind of musky, but it smelled good.

"The point I'm trying to make is, sometimes we go through things, and we need comfort, and sometimes—just sometimes—others need to be comforted more than you yourself. There are ways to deal with heartbreak and pain and depression. You aren't in this alone. I'm here with you. For better or for worse, in sickness and in health, 'til death do us part, as long as we both shall live…" He says into my hair. Emmett laughs a quiet throaty laugh, and I hear it vibrate through his chest. It tickles. I laugh as well, and then I pull away, sigh and place my gum in my wrapper and toss it in a nearby trashcan. It takes all my willpower not to reach in my pocket and stick the whole packet into my mouth. Instead, I take Emmett's hand and we continue to walk further down the street. Clouds rolled over, and rain began to fall. But in Myrtle Beach it's a different kind of rain. It's a warm rain, like in the summer, that smells like sand and seawater, and makes your skin tingle at the feel of it. It's magic rain. Emmett stopped and I stopped with him.

"It's a beautiful day, isn't it?" He asked nonchalantly. He looked at me with a sparkle in his eye, trying to keep a straight face, although his lip twitches, aching to smile.

"Oh, just kiss me, you fool." I smiled, and he tenderly kissed my lips. See? Magic rain. My hair stuck to the back of my neck, and the rain spattered my eyelids. I loved the way it felt. If only it didn't have to end…A continuous, never-ending love story. What if you could be happy? I know I could. I already am. Emmett makes me happy. He removed my fingers from his hair, and put my left arm on his shoulder, and he took my right hand in his left. He placed his right hand on my hip, pulling me up on to his toes. We spun down the rain-soaked streets, performing a magical waltz as the rain was falling all around our heads. And all without breaking from the kiss. All of a sudden, my pocket began buzzing, so I pulled away, reaching in my pocket. I got a text message from Hunter. I read it. It said "I miss you. When are you coming home?" Emmett saw it and I started sheepishly rubbing his arm.

"I'm selfish. Keeping you to myself like this. Keeping you from the people who love you. Your brother needs you." He said, looking at his feet.

"Don't be silly. I'll just call him. There was a gas station at the corner of the street. I walked to it, leaving Emmett to wait for me outside. The cashier smiled a friendly smile at me. I didn't smile back. I just nodded and rushed into the bathroom. I dialed Hunter's number. He answered on the first ring.

"Alice."

"I'm here, Hunter. I'm here." I soothed.

"I hate this." He said.

"Hate what?" I asked, worried now.

"Being isolated. Alone. It's terrible. I feel as if I'll rip my hair out. I haven't been right since you left. I got in a fight yesterday with some of the jocks from the neighborhood. I've got a black eye now and a cut on my face. He had rings. Those rings. Those evil rings…they hurt, Alice. I've been out of sorts since you've been gone." His voice quivered. I could just imagine the big buff guys, twice Hunter's size, pushing him around. Hunter's bigger than us seniors, but those guys are college guys…He's probably in the Panic Room right now, rocking himself back and forth. Instability is not unusual in our family. We've all experienced it. It's a welcomed guest. We don't run away from our problems, we embrace them. These emotions seep into our bodies, inhabiting them.

"Hunter, you know I love you. The guy I'm in love with is waiting outside in the parking lot, while I'm making a phone call in a gas station bathroom. That's how much I care about you. Don't get upset, hon. Just…go eat some ice cream." I said, stifling a giggle. Hunter played, too.

"Well, I do enjoy that there ice cream." He says.

"Hunter, you sound like a redneck." I laughed. "I still love you."

"Love you, too, Alice." He whispered.

"Bye."

"Bye."

I walked out, and just so the cashier didn't get mad, I purchased a Monster and a Kit-Kat. Emmett was out there, still waiting. He took my hand, and we began to walk back to the hotel. It was getting late, and he knew that I happened to love night-time swims. We walked down to the beach and I stripped down to my swimsuit. Emmett took his shirt off, and plunged in to the water. I wriggled my toes through the wet sand, letting my mind wander. Did I really want a baby? How much was I willing to risk to be with Emmett? How would this affect my mother? Or Hunter? WHAT COULD I DO WITH MY LIFE? I don't think being a girl, or being a human being, or being short, or anything else, has any boundaries on where I'm destined to be. I don't know why I'm so fickle, and so antsy. Open the window and I'd jump out first chance I get. Emmett's the only person—other than Hunter—I don't get tired of. I never would. The water made me lose my balance and I fell in. Emmett pulled me by my legs deeper into the ocean. I gasped when I came up, pulling in as much as possible, then I slapped Emmett on the chest. And you know what he said? He chuckled at me, and said "Cute". He grabbed my wrists, constricting them, and he kissed them tenderly. My cheeks got hot and I sighed contently as his lips parted from my palms. I ran my fingers through his hair, and he tenderly pressed his forehead to mine, placing his hands on my hips. I rested my hands on his chest, breathing in the smell of sand and sunscreen. Whenever we are in the water, I remember two summers ago when we both worked part-time as lifeguards at Carowinds. They have a pool that, at regular intervals, sets off an alarm that creates massive waves, giving the effect of being in the ocean. Whenever there was no one swimming, we loved to jump in and pretend we were two people that got lost in a plane crash and deserted in the middle of the ocean, trying to swim against the current. We never got caught. That was a great summer. Emmett wrapped his arms around my waist and hoisted me up in the water to reach his face. He sweetly kissed my nose, and chuckled as I blushed, and smiled. His gaze held mine while my fingers stroked his cheek, pulling his lips to mine, locking my arms around his neck. It's difficult to describe how it feels when we kiss. It's like the sky falls to the earth, the plates collide, colors blend, oceans silence, the moon is sucked into the Sun, the planets align, and everything comes together in its sweet and glorious uprising. I remember all the kisses I've had up until now, and there wasn't the spark I felt with Emmett. I kissed Kyle in sixth grade, and Alex in ninth grade, and some other unmentionable kisses at parties that don't even count to me. I always knew I needed him. Truth is, I'd actually kissed Emmett before this spring break. A long time ago, actually. We were still little kids. Only six. It was in my backyard, during one of my mother's grown-up parties. We sat in my backyard for hours upon hours. We swung on my swing set, and whatever random junk we found, we would bury it. I remember just as the sun was setting, I climbed into my favorite tree, nestled between two branches that stretched in opposite direction. He sat on a branch one lower from mine that angled in a way the he could sit and still look up and face me. He picked leaves off one by one, absentmindedly, I could tell. He was thinking about something. I didn't ask what. He brought it up anyway.

"Alice, how do you know?" He pondered, those same gorgeous eyes searching mine.

"Hunter told me. He found out from one of his friend's parents. Honestly, I didn't know you weren't aware of it yourself." I said.

"I knew it, I just didn't want to believe it." He whispered.

"You don't need to be worried. You're going to be a blessing to that baby. She's going to need you and depend on you like the big brother you will be. Your mommy's having a baby." I smiled at him. He sighed.

"I'm not ready." He said.

"Yes you are." I said, and dropped down to him on the lower branch. I firmly and surely decided it was the appropriate moment to kiss him. It was just a little peck on the lip. We went on with the rest of our lives as if it hadn't happened. Two weeks later, his mom had the miscarriage. She was devastated, but he seemed relieved. Two years later was the birth of his first little sister, Bella. She's ten now and in sixth grade. When we were twelve, Emily was born. When we were thirteen, the twins, Harley and Gracie, were born. They're five now and starting kindergarten in fall. When we were seventeen, Emily died. Now the Christmas cards Emmett's family sends look slightly empty despite his three younger siblings. I hadn't been aware of the fact that the kiss end just moments ago and I hadn't moved or said anything. Emmett gripped my shoulders, and shook me gently.

"Alice, what's wrong?" He asked. My eyes were still shut. Opening them, I inhaled the smell of him and the seawater that rose and sank by my thighs.

"I'm ready to go back to the room." I said, grabbing my stuff, Emmett hot on my heels. For the first time in two days, Emmett went in to his bedroom.

"I'll be out shortly. I'll just get a quick shower." He smiled. I smiled back and I went to take a shower, too. I took a long shower, but I didn't bother to dry my hair. It hangs longer when it's wet, so it was nearly to the small of my back. I looked for an option for pajamas. I wore purple soffees with soccer balls on them, and one of Emmett's oversized t-shirts. It's so long, it almost reaches my kneecaps. I took a hair tie and tied the shirt to make it fit better. I grabbed a bottle of Canada Dry and a bowl of grapes. I sat cross-legged on the couch, and turned on the television and turned to Vh1. My favorite show was on. The OCD Project. I can't even begin to explain to you why it's my favorite show on Vh1. It just fascinates me, the issues these people have, and what compels them to do the things they do, and yet still, even with lives worse than the ones Emmett and I have, they get better. In a way, it gives me hope. For the both of us. Emmett came out into the living room in sweatpants and no shirt. I'm guessing that shower hurt, because he had sunburn across his shoulders and back. He sat beside me on the couch and groaned as he tried to settle comfortably.

"Emmett, you've got bad sunburn." I said.

"I know. It hurts." He said, touching the red skin and wincing.

"Well, baby, don't touch it or you're going to hurt yourself. Luckily, I prepared for sunburn. Come on." I said, taking his hand and leading him to the kitchen.

"Hold still." I said, and he rested his elbows on the counter while I rubbed Aloe Vera on his back and shoulders. He sighed.

"Thank you, Alice." He said, kissing my forehead. We sat back on the couch watching The OCD Project. Emmett reached for a grape, but it pulled the bowl away and threw a grape at his face. He still caught it in his mouth. I giggled some, and threw another. This continued for about ten minutes, until Emmett stood up.

"Hey, Alice! I almost forgot. Guess what I brought us?" He said giddily, rushing into his room without waiting for my answer. When he came back out he brought a shiny silver disk; a DVD. He tossed it to me, and I cocked my head to the side, giving him a quizzical look.

"Put it in." He urged. I shrugged and opened the DVD player. I glanced one last time at the disk. It didn't have a name on it so I didn't know what to expect. It went straight to menu. It was a homemade movie about me and Emmett, kind of like a documentary people do on celebrities sometimes. It's titled "Alice and Emmett: The Life Story of the Best of Best Friends". I couldn't keep myself from grinning. This must be good. When I pressed play, the screen went black, and in big white letters it said "Cullen Productions Presents Alice and Emmett: The Life Story of the Best of Best Friends" and "Feelin' the Same Way" by Norah Jones began playing as Emmett's camera panned to show my entire back yard slowly and the screen said "Directed by Emmett Cullen, Produced by Emmett Cullen, and Edited by Emmett Cullen, starring Emmett Cullen and Alice Brandon", and I laughed.

"Yeah, I'm that good. Shh, it's starting." He said, focusing back on the screen. He draped his arm around my shoulder. In the movie, after the camera crossed my entire back yard, it stopped at me, back at the tree. I was wearing a yellow sundress, and my feet were bare and I had a daisy in my long hair. My hair wasn't as dark as it is now, since I was younger. It was sort of chestnut brown. I was on the wooden swing, connected to the tree by rope, like in Emmett's dream. He walked closer and I was just sitting there giggling to myself. Emmett's voice spoke on the camera.

"_Alice, what are you laughing about?"_ His voice was higher pitched and young. We were six. But I turned to Emmett and laughed.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha! You sound like Justin Bieber!" I fell in a fit of laughing.

"Hey, that's not very nice."

"The truth hurts." I said, turning my attention back to the screen. Six-year-old me responded to six-year-old Emmett.

"_I just think it is funny how if you lean backwards on a swing, the world is upside down. It makes me laugh, because it's not the way it goes. It doesn't follow rules."I said._

"_People like us weren't meant to follow rules. We are meant to make our own."Emmett said_

In voice-over, Emmett spoke.

"How did these two people become friends, you ask? It happened just a few months earlier…"

The scene changed to the first day of third grade, in Mrs. Murray's classroom. The desks in third grade are nothing like the ones in high school. They are the tiny, basically a sheet of wood on top of a metal box to keep your stuff in. So, Mrs. Murray put our names on little note cards and taped them to our desks so we know where to sit. Well since my last name is Brandon and his last name is Cullen we got put together. He was adorable, with freckles and missing his two front teeth and the same blue eyes sprinkled with green flecks. He was wearing a Spiderman t-shirt, jeans and Spiderman shoes. This made Emmett laugh. He really liked Spiderman. I sat beside him in a pink dress, frilly white socks, black shiny Velcro shoes, and a big, huge, polka-dot, Junie B. Jones-type bow sitting atop my head. This made me laugh. I really liked Junie B. Yes, that's right. No Barbie, or Polly Pocket, or My Little Pony. I didn't like that crap. Too typical. I like odd things, if you haven't already realized. So, it was the first day, and he brought his video camera. We he turned it on, he started narrating, which no one paid attention to, except me. Emmett's camera, scanned the class, catching the teacher, the students in front of him, the reading corner, and the time-out station. He turned the camera on me, and I looked up from coloring. I didn't ask what the camera was for, or why he was narrating, or anything I simply said this.

"_Do you have a blue crayon?" _little me asked.

"_Sure. Blue is my favorite color,"_ was little Emmett's rebuttal.

"_Mine too."_

"_What's your name?" _

Little me handed little Emmett a perfectly cut square. It was light blue and had little white tufts of clouds I remember drawing. In the middle of the card, my name was printed in yellow crayon. Alice. I was probably the only kid in the whole grade, possibly the whole school, with her own personal business card. I'd made hundreds of those things. I stopped doing that in 5th grade. Little Emmett took the card and read it out loud.

"_Alice." _he said. Then he turned the card over and took a crayon, and after a few seconds, he gave it back to little me. On the back, he'd drawn something that looked like a cross-eyed lizard in the prenatal stage. It was probably a dinosaur, or a dragon, or something. Below it was his name. Emmett.

"_Emmett." _I was still face to face with Emmett's video camera. _"I like your name." _

"_I like your name, too."_

"_Ok, kids! Snack time!"_ Mrs. Murray chirped.

Little Emmett and I pulled out our snacks. We looked at what each other had, back at our own snacks, and then we looked at each other, and without a word we traded snacks. He gave me his granola bar, and I gave him my Scooby-Doo fruit snacks.

Emmett started narrating again on the video.

"And that's how two best friends came to be."

The rest of the video were moments throughout our friendship, when we helped each other and stuck together. On the video I saw the time, when I was still six, right before my ballet recital, I was peering from behind the curtain, getting a glimpse of the audience, while Emmett laced up my costume. I saw when we both played pee-wee football, and despite the padding and helmet, I still got pummeled. Emmett spent most of the time trying to cover me so I wouldn't be forced in to a face plant by all the guys, who, at that age, smelled like boogers and animal crackers, and ran to the coach every time they had to pee. I saw the time I got picked on by Sam DeWitt, the biggest guy in sixth grade, and I ran into Emmett's arm crying, and Emmett actually beat him up. Emmett was still smaller than DeWitt. I saw the time when Emmett and I had a cotillion ball in eighth grade and he was my accompaniment. He even had someone shoot us dancing together. We looked adorable back in middle school with my gown and heels and gloves, and his tuxedo. Also, he managed to get film of me holding every one of his baby sisters, including Emily. The last shot was from the beginning of this year back in August the night before school started. The sun was setting yellow and orange, and we were at Lake Wylie. I had my head rested on his shoulder, and the screen faded to black and then the picture came back with us in a different position. We were standing at the edge of the dock, holding hands, and over the film, the words "Alice and Emmett. Best friends forever" sat on top of the clip of us, and we stood in a ready stance, and you could hear our count-down, as we, me and Emmett, hand in hand, jumped into the lake. When we came up, the screen faded again, and the last thing I could hear was the sound of our laughter. Roll credits. The movie was over. It took a while, too. Emmett liked to capture every moment.

"Hey that was a great video." I smiled, turning to Emmett. He was asleep on the couch. Hmm. No wonder he had been so quiet. I slung one of his arms around my shoulder and I half-carried him, and he half-sleep-walked, to our bedroom. I gently laid him down and pulled the covers up over him. His hands searched across the empty space that was the enormous bed. I think he was searching for me. He was still sleeping but he made an audible whimper when he couldn't find me. I quickly closed the space between us, crawling under the covers. I kissed him temple and whispered to him.

"Shh, shh…I'm here. It's okay." I whispered. Sleep came to me with graceful mercy of another night with my beloved. I couldn't be happier.


End file.
